


Everyone Has Their Fair Share

by inmydreams_itsallreal



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Blind Character, Blind Race, Canon Disabled Character, Child Abuse, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Ill add as i go, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-05-16 15:58:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 5,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14814423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmydreams_itsallreal/pseuds/inmydreams_itsallreal
Summary: Charlie Morris was about as average as any 15-year-old could get. He had a thick New York accent, roughhoused with his friends, and, of course, went to school. His problem? Cars. A car accident had cost him the use of his right leg, earning him the name Crutchie and giving him a severe fear of automobiles. “One day, maybe it’ll be cured,” Doctors said. Crutchie didn’t give a damn about whether or not his leg healed. He just wanted his life back.Francis Sullivan, Crutchie’s best friend, was suave and charming. He preferred Jack Kelly, though. He had a loving girlfriend, and everything seemed to be looking up for him and the fellas. He had a couple of secrets, though, and one that revealed itself in the form of David Jacobs.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't know who to pair Crutchie with but I wanted him to have a romantic interest so  
> Race is 16 in this btw  
> Warnings: minor bullying, a character is shoved, called a crip

Crutchie hobbled down the hallway, shouldering his backpack and staring at his feet. Today had been just another shitty day at school and all he wanted to do was go home. The first day of school was never fun.  
“Hey, crip!” Someone jeered. Crutchie looked around for the source. The Delancy’s. Of course. Crutchie inhaled sharply and kept moving, hoping they would leave him alone. Unfortunately, that was not the case.  
“How’s about you show some respect to you elders and answer them?” Morris yelled. Crutchie felt rage bubbling in his gut as he turned to face them, but before he could make a move, Oscar had him on his stomach in a second. Crutchie coughed as he tried to get air back into his lungs. Wheezing, he closed his eyes and waited for the next blow. He was all too familiar with this. But the hit never came. He heard the thumps and grunts, and then, the sound of two pairs of feet running away. That was new.  
“You okay?” A new voice asked. Crutchie looked up to see a boy about his age offering his hand. The boy grinned, and pushed his red hair out of his blue eyes. Something was off about his eyes, though.  
“The name’s Racetrack, but you can call me Race,” He said. He grabbed Crutchie’s elbow, since the other boy would not take his hand. As Crutchie was hauled up, he noticed how unfocused Race’s eyes were.  
“What’s your name?” Race asked, snapping Crutchies attention away from the boy’s eyes.  
“My name’s Charlie, but my friends call me Crutchie,’ he responded. He noted confusion of Racetrack’s face.  
“Why would they call you Crutchie?”  
Crutchie’s eyes widened as all the clues clicked together. He hesitated, before saying,”I can't use my right leg. I have a crutch to help me walk.” His father had been blind, so he knew to save Race the trouble of having to explain his predicament.  
Racetrack laughed. “I guess that’s why those boys called you a crip.”  
Crutchie smiled, then said, “Are you new here? Also, Racetrack is such an unusual name." He cursed himself for saying that last bit.  
Race snorted. “My real name’s Anthony, but my friends call me Racetrack because I like to make bets. Y’know, like at a horse race. This is actually my first day here. And to clear things up, I'm legally blind, but just in the way that glasses don't help. I can still make out light and shapes, though.” He winked, and gave a lopsided grin. He motioned to the door, and Crutchie jokingly bowed.  
“Thank you, kind sir,” He said in a mock British accent. He started down the road, when he heard Race calling after him.  
“You’re not gonna walk all the way home are you? Shouldn’t you take the bus or something?” Crutchie shuddered when he heard the suggestion. “I- I'm not a big fan of...automobiles.”  
Race nodded knowingly. “I know what you mean,” He said. “You live in this direction? Surprise, surprise, I do too! Wanna walk together?”  
Crutchie nodded,grateful for the company. He blushed slightly as Race took his elbow.  
“Go forth, my noble steed!” Race yelled. Crutchie laughed, and continued home.  
As he neared his apartment door, Jack appeared in the hallway with another boy.  
“Hey, Crutchie! Glad you’re home. I'll be there in a bit. This here’s Davey, he’s new here. I’m helping him with an art assignment first. The first day of school sure brought in a bunch of oddballs,” He joked as he nudged David. They both laughed, but Crutchie felt a little defensive of Race.  
“I’m gonna go do homework,” He said, and started to make his way to his room. Jack stopped him.  
“Hey, I’ve seen that look before-what's going on?”  
“I met a blind kid at school today,” Crutchie replied.”He’s super nice and funny, and-”  
“Woah, you know I didn't mean him,” Jack said. He ran his fingers through his hair, a cocky grin on his face. “You don’t happen to like this kid, do you?”  
Crutchie’s face turned crimson and he continued to his room. Jack and Davey shared a knowing glance and giggled as Crutchie slammed his door, embarrassed.  
As he sat down on his bed, Crutchie thought about the red-haired boy, and everything he learned about him. He’s Italian-Irish, he loves to dance, and, best of all, single. Well, he just got out of a relationship with some hunk named Spot. So no seducing this boy yet; he had to get over his breakup first.


	2. Jack Kelly, Get Yourself Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack meets a new kid on his first day. Awkward as hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: mentions of abusive household, gambling, and alcohol

Jack hated school. I mean, trapped in a rundown building with adults yelling at you while you cower in fear? Jack and Crutchie have enough of that at home. School is a nice escape from their hellish household, though. Snyder took both of them in to make himself look better, but, as one can expect, he’s an absolute nightmare. Luckily, he spent most of his days drunk and gambling.

As Jack trudged to his locker, he saw a tall, lanky boy shuffling down the hallway. Must be another new kid, He thought. First days brought people from all over.

Jack yanked his locker open and shoved his jacket inside, grabbing a couple pencils from the bottom of his locker and some fresh paper that was strewn across the bottom as well. He slammed his locker shut, and lo and behold, the tall kid from before was right in front of him. New Kid cleared his throat and anxiously tugged at the collar of his dress shirt. Very snazzy.

“I uh- Hi, I’m-I’m Dave. I-well, you can probably tell, but I’m new here, and I’m- I’m kinda lost,” The boy stuttered. Jack gave a lopsided smirk and stuck out his hand.

“Jack Kelly. A pleasure to meetcha, Davey,” Jack replied. He studied Davey’s face closely. Large, chocolate brown eyes, an adorable nose-wait, _what_? Adorable?

_Jack Kelly, get yourself together! Kath is your girlfriend, remember, dumbass?_

“What class you got?” Jack asked gruffly, clearing his thoughts. “2D Art? That’s my favorite class -right this way.” As they walked Jack decided to be brave. “Y’know, I’m president of the school’s GSA. After-school on Wednesdays. I-uh, even if you’re straight- I mean- We’d love to have you there.”

_Jesus Christ, what are you doing?_ “Oh, and, uh… I love art, so if you want- you don’t have to- maybe I could come by your house sometime? Today, even? I could help - if you need it- I bet you’re very talented.” Jack hated himself right now. To his surprise, Davey looked delighted.

“I could really use the help,” He replied. He grabbed Jack’s hand. “Here, let me write my number down for you. Today sounds great.” Jack watched as Davey smoothly wrote his number on Jack’s palm, loving the gentle touch of Davey’s other hand keeping Jack’s steady.

_Get yourself together, you absolute fuck!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't edit this at all because I'm impulsive and dumb :)


	3. Deeper Down The Rabbit Hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crutchie is a pining mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: mentions of ableism, mentions of abusive/bad households  
> correct me on my italian translations + info about screen readers :)

The next day at school, Crutchie opened his locker, trying to drown out the sound of the chaotic hallway by humming some incoherent tune. As the red door creaked open, something fluttered out of the locker. Frowning, Crutchie bent over to pick it up. Upon closer inspection, he could see the blue lines of paper and faint handwriting. He picked it up, and squinted to read the nearly unintelligible scrawl. Crutchies eyes widened. It was a phone number, no doubt Race’s. Underneath the number was a winking face with the words, “I enjoyed our walk yesterday.” Crutchie couldn't help but grin ear to ear. Further down, it read: “P.S. I had some kid named Albert write this for me. What a guy!” Crutchie rolled his eyes at that. Albert was, indeed, quite a guy.

Looking behind him, he saw none other than Race leaning against a wall, rolling an unlit cigar between his teeth. Crutchie limped over.

“Y’know,” He said.”You’re dead if they catch you with that.”

Race chuckled. “You like my note? I hope Albert didn’t fuck it up too badly.”

“It’s perfect- I mean, it’s fine,’ Crutchie replied,hoping Racetrack didn’t catch his slipup. Thankfully, the bell rang.

“See you later, Crutch. I’m glad you thought it was perfect,” Race called as he walked to class. Crutchie swore he saw him wink.

 

All throughout the day, Crutchie played with the note in his pocket, anxious but excited to actually be able to call Race. As soon as the bell rang, Crutchie shot up and went as fast as he could to the gate, where Race was waiting, happy he could finally light his cigar.

Crutchie spoke up as they were walking, asking a question he’d had in his mind all day. “First of all, sorry if this is offensive,” He started.

Racetrack interrupted. “I’ve had some pretty offensive things said to me. Take your best shot.”

“How do you… text? And like, use a phone at all?” Crutchie held his breath, hoping that wasn’t too invasive.

Race smiled. “Easy,” he said. “Screen readers. Those things are pretty neat.”

“Did you just say ‘neat?’ What year are we in, 1950?" Crutchie giggled, earning a light punch to the shoulder in response.

Now it was Race’s time to take a deep breath. “So,” He said. “Wanna come over to my house to study? We’re both in CP bio, and Mr. P doesn’t seem like the type of guy to offer extra credit.”

Crutchie’s heart began to flutter. _God, calm down. It’s just studying_. “Sure,” He replied.

 

Racetrack gallantly opened the door to his small apartment. “Viola,” He said with a smirk.

“Better than mine,” Crutchie replied.

“What’s so bad about your apartment?” Race asked.

“I, uh- So, is anyone else home?” Crutchie cursed himself for almost letting himself talk about his home situation.

Sensing that Crutchie didn’t want to talk about that at the moment, Race replied to his question. “Nah; Madre left about 2 years ago and mio padre is always out getting scratchers with his druggie friends.”

“Oh.”

Race brightened up, not wanting to dampen the mood with his sob story. “Anyhoo, let’s get started on homework. Normally I’d just fuck around and forget to do it, but you’re here now.”

Crutchie’s cheeks burned up, but he followed Race to the kitchen counter.

 

Hours later, Crutchie and Racetrack were lying on the pull-out bed, throwing cheese puffs into each other’s mouths and contemplating life.

“Do vegetables have feelings?” Race muttered.

“Maybe they can feel when we cut them up,” Crutchie mumbled through a mouth full of cheese. He sat up and checked his watch. His blood went cold, and a wave of dread went through him. 10:34. Snyder was always home by 9. “Shit,” He whispered. “I gotta go.”

“Can I come with you?” Race asked.

Crutchie wished so much, but he shook his head. “I’m not letting you walk home at 10:30. Bye, Race. I’ll text you when I get home, okay?”

Race nodded. “Bye, loser.”

Crutchie laughed and shut the door, before hurrying home as fast as his limp would take him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tell me what you want to see next!


	4. Curfew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crutchie gets home late. Snyder isn't happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hated writing this!!! But it'll get better I promise!!  
> WARNING: Child abuse, Snyder hits Crutchie  
> If you don't feel comfy reading this, just know that basically Crutchie was hurt by Snyder and is now locked in a closet.

Jack paced around his room, running his fingers through his hair as he sharply exhaled. Crutchie still hasn’t come home. Snyder was furious. Jack had missed curfew plenty of times, but he couldn't bear to listen to what was coming when Crutchie got home.

Suddenly, he heard the front door creak open, and the tell-tale _thump-click_ as Crutchie tried to sneak into his room-a futile attempt. Jack held his breath as he heard Snyder growl.

“You come here right now, boy.”

“Sir-I can explain-” Jack bit down on his knuckles to keep from crying out as Crutchie was smacked across the face. He heard his crutch fall to the floor, followed shortly by Crutchie.

“You worthless son of a bitch!” Snyder roared. “I pay for your meals, I fucking send you to school, and this is what I get?!”

“Please-”

“No,no, no- you don’t get to talk. I give up my quiet nights and calm weekends to take care of you!” Another smack. And another.

“Please, stop!” Crutchie sobbed in between hits. Jack couldn’t take it anymore.

“Stop!” Jack cried as he ran in front of the curled up figure on the floor. Snyder turned a deeper shade of red, and shoved Jack aside. He picked up Crutchie by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to the small closet in the hallway. He tossed him in and slammed the door, locking the door with a small key.

Snyder turned to face Jack, who was determined not to cry in front of this heartless man.

“If you so much as look at this closet, you’ll wish you were never born,” Snyder hissed, before grabbing his keys and storming out of the apartment.

Jack sobbed, pounding on the closet door. “Crutch, Charlie, please tell me you’re okay,” He nearly screamed. Through his heavy breaths, he heard a faint reply.

“I’m okay, Jackie, I really am,” Crutchie whispered through the door. Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

“And your leg?”

“I, uh… I actually think he might’ve mangled it a bit more, if that’s possible,” Crutchie said, faking a laugh. Jack could hear him wince through the pain.

“Okay, okay… Everything’ll be fine. Just hang in there,” He said.

They both spent the night trying to keep each other awake, afraid that if they fell asleep, they wouldn’t wake up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this fic isn't abandoned aahhhhh


	5. Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick update!!

Howdy!!  
Sorry for not updating at all! The last few weeks of school are always hell :P  
I just have a few more days of school, then I'm leaving for Florida for a week, but THEN I'll be updating more frequently :D  
Thanks for being patient!! I have some neat-o things planned!


	6. Jack's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack goes to school without Crutchie. Kath has some surprising news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Talk of alcohol, abuse

The next morning, Jack was forced to go to school and leave Crutchie behind. 

“I’m fucking paying for your education, so you better make good use of my money,” Snyder had said.

After quietly checking in on Crutchie for the umpteenth time (“Jack, please go learn something, for Christ’s sake.”), he grabbed his bag and walked to the bus stop.

Lost in thought, Jack didn’t see Davey in front of him, and walked right into him.

“Hey- Oh, Jack, you okay?” Davey looked worried, as if he could read Jack’s mind. Jack plastered on a grin.

“Perfect as always,” He replied through gritted teeth. He wasn’t going to be able to get through today.

 

School was shitty, as always, but today he seemed to have the worst luck. First, his locker jammed and he couldn’t get his books out. Then, he accidentally ripped a hole in his sketch during art class. Then, to top it all off, this happened:

It was during study hall, when 30 kids were either sleeping or playing Fortnite. The teachers didn’t give a shit.

Jack had been redoing his art project, when a note landed on his desk.

_ Hallway. Now,  _ It read.Jack looked up and saw Mr. Denton asleep at his computer. Jack slowly got up and made his way toward the door.

In the hall, Katherine was standing there, teary-eyed. 

“I’m sorry I have to tell you this,” She started. “Especially now. I was going to wait until after GSA got out to tell you so I could go home and cry, but…”

Jack put his hand on her shoulder. “You can tell me, Kath.”

She took a deep breath. “I think I’m gay,” She whispered.

Jack didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to feel. Happy, so he could maybe pursue Davey? Sad, because he liked Katherine a lot?

Finally, he just nodded. “Can I be the maid of honor at your wedding?” He said with a slight grin.

Katherine gave a small laugh. “Of course.”

 

Finally, it was the end of the day. Jack made his way toward the door, but was stopped by Davey. 

“Hey, Jack, I was thinking about your offer, and I’m going to try going the the GSA meeting today! Wanna walk together?”   
Oh God, how Jack wished he could say yes. He wanted nothing more than to walk with Davey to the gayest after-school club. But he had to take care of Crutchie.

“I’m sorry,” He replied gruffly. “I’m going home.”  

He continued on, leaving a worried and dumbfounded David standing in the hallway.

 

Outside, he saw a boy standing by the road, looking impatient.

“Hey, you’re Racetrack, right?” Jack said as he approached the boy. “Crutchie told me a lot about you.”   
Racetrack nodded. “Where is he? I haven’t seen- well, talked to him all day, and he walks home with me.”

Jack cursed under his breath. “He- uh, he’s sick today. He’ll be back soon, though.”   
“Can I visit him?”   
Damn, this kid just won’t give up. He must really be in love.

“No, he’s at my aunt’s house, since dad is out of town and can’t take care of him.” Jack was surprised at how easily the lie rolled off his tongue. 

Racetrack looked down, before nodding. “Well, tell him to get well soon; he doesn’t want me walking the stinkin’ streets of New York alone, does he?” He smiled and turned away, carefully walking along the sidewalk with his cane. 

 

Jack carefully opened the apartment door. Luckily, Snyder was out, probably drinking. Jack stepped inside, making a beeline towards the closet.

“Hey, Crutch. It’s me, Jackie. Are you feeling any better?”

A small sound came from the back of the closet. “I’m feeling fine. Do you think- maybe, you could tell me about your day? Just to make things feel normal?”

Jack nodded, tears pricking his eyes. Crutchie always looked for ways to make the best of a shitty situation. 

“Well, first, my damn locker wouldn’t open…” He began, grateful to hear Crutchie’s laughter again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING HSJFHKS  
> Come yell at me on tumblr: anddrownedusinink


	7. Coming Out of the Closet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick chapter to keep the plot moving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Albeist language, abuse, vomit, injury  
> Skip to the end for a brief overview of the chapter if you don't feel comfortable reading this!

Jack awoke to a sharp kick to the ribs. 

“Get up, boy. I’ve had enough of your whining about the crip,” Came the gruff voice of Snyder. “I’m letting him out.”

Jack looked up, barely believing what he had just heard. He scrambled out of the way to let Snyder unlock the door. The portly man banged on the door a couple of times.

“Get up, you lousy crip. I’m letting you out.”   
He turned the key in the lock and threw open the door. Jack pushed his way to the closet to catch a pale, lifeless Crutchie as he failed to stand up.

Jack heaved Crutchie over his shoulder and grabbed the dirty crutch lying on the floor.

“Let’s get you some rest,” He whispered.

 

Jack set Crutchie down on the dusty mattress and took in the damage done to his brother. Bruises covered the left side of his face, lining his neck, and probably his torso as well. His bad leg was twisted at an even odder position than usual, and the left one had a huge gash that was still bleeding sluggishly. 

Jack turned and threw up, disgusted by what Snyder had done.

Crutchie’s breathing broke the silence, rattling and short.

Jack began to panic. What did Crutchie need first? Food? Water? First aid?  _ Oxygen? _

“Screw it,” Jack muttered as he lifted Crutchie up. “I’m getting you out of this hellhole once and for all.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crutchie is let out of the closet and is injured. Jack decides to try and get them out of Snyder's custody.


	8. *sob*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack gets help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: slightly graphic depictions of injury (nothing too bad) , panic, some vomit  
> Nothing too graphic though, but skip to the end for a breakdown of what happened if you don't want to read

Crutchie awoke to a dull pain in his legs. He slowly opened his eyes, and found himself high above the ground. He began to panic. Was he falling? Was this how he died?   
Crutchie thrashed as wildly as his exhausted, weak body would let him. A strong arm tightened its grip around Crutchie’s torso. 

“You’re all right, Crutch,” Jack’s  familiar voice soothed. “I’m getting you help.”

Suddenly, Jack shifted Crutchie higher up on his shoulder, jolting Crutchie’s legs. Crutchie began to scream until his throat was raw. The pain was unbearable. It felt like his limbs had been sliced open, the cut crawling through his entire body.

Crutchie shook violently, and blacked out.

 

Screams pierced through Crutchie’s dream, and he suddenly awoke. Flashing lights blinded him from every angle. Crutchie looked around, and saw Jack sitting on a set of stairs, sobbing and retching into a bucket. A familiar boy his age was rubbing his back, whispering something in his ear. A police officer stood in front of them, writing down every coherent word Jack could spit out. Something about Snyder.

Crutchie tried to lift his arm, wave to Jack, let him know everything would be alright, but found his arm was restrained. He looked down, and saw his arm tied down to some sort of white bed. A stretcher, maybe.

A man stood over Crutchie, and smiled. “Hi, Charlie.” He said quietly. “We’re going to put you into this ambulance, okay?”   
Crutchie slowly nodded. The stretcher began to roll across the asphalt, sending shooting pains up his legs. He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes.

As they loaded Crutchie into the vehicle, he saw Jack look up. Jack ran towards the ambulance, panting heavily.

The last thing Crutchie saw was the tortured face of his brother as they closed the ambulance doors and sped away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aight so in this chapter Jack brings Crutchie to the Jacob's house and they get him to the hospital
> 
> I didn't add too much detail in this chapter (as you can probably tell) just because talking about injuries and pain makes me squeamish :)


	9. this entire chapter is just me accidentally copying lotr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crutchie wakes up in a hospital. Everything is happy for a bit :,)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: A little talk of child abuse but nothing too bad

Crutchie awoke with a groan, his head spinning and his vision foggy. He squinted against the sterile white of the hospital room and looked around.

His legs were in casts, the right longer than the left. His arm had tubes sticking out of it, wrapped in a piece of gauze. A monitor to his right beeped rhythmically, letting Crutchie know that his heart was still beating.

A voice rang through the empty white room.

“Crutchie?” Jack breathed as he threw open the door. “Oh my God, Crutch, you won’t believe how worried I was.” Jack’s hands were shaking as he cupped Crutchie’s face, still in shock. 

“Jack… what happened?” Crutchie mumbled.

Jack’s eyes filled with tears once again. “You’re safe now.  _ We’re  _ safe now.”   
Crutchie’s brow furrowed. “What?”   
“They got him. The police got Snyder,” Jack said ecstatically.

Crutchie shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. Safety was a foreign concept to him. It all seemed too good to be true.

A loud bang startled them both. Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh… might have called some friends to visit.”   
Katherine, Specs, Romeo, and Finch crowded around the bed, grabbing at Crutchie and talking over one another. Crutchie laughed, giving them each a loving look and squeezing their hands fondly.

Then, Crutchie saw a newcomer quietly step in, unsure. Jack grabbed the boy’s elbow and led him to where Crutchie lay.

_ Racetrack. _

“I… Race…” Crutchie started, noticing how the room had become uncomfortably empty. Race sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed Crutchie’s hand.

“I was so fucking worried,” He began, but was cut off as Crutchie gently pressed his lips to Race’s.

“I’m so sorry,” Crutchie whispered, his and Race’s foreheads touching tenderly. “For everything. I should’ve told you what was going on-”   
“You’re ruining the moment,” Race said with a grin before kissing him once again.

 

After a while, the rest of Crutchie’s friends entered the room. A doctor stepped in behind them.

The doctor smiled kindly at the group. “Your friend here has been through quite a lot, but we have him on quite a bit of medication right now, and he should be free to go in a day or two.” Everyone cheered, but were quieted by the doctor as he held up his hand. “There is another matter, though- custody. Your previous… caretaker has been arrested. Now, I’ve spoken with some social workers, and it seems they have found a place for you and Jack. I’ll let them fill you in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my boys deserve a little happiness before i throw another curveball their way  
> also yeah this entire chapter was accidentally written like the scene in return of the king


	10. counting the stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crutchie relives the night he lost his parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: blood, injury, death  
> skip to the end of the chapter for an overview if you don't feel comfy reading this :)

Days went by, and Crutchie couldn’t bear the hospital anymore, with its perfect white walls and perpetual smell of hand sanitizer. And, God, that rhythmic beeping was driving Crutchie insane- he stayed up at night listening for his heart to suddenly stop. 

The worst part, however, was expecting to see his parents wheeled by on stretchers, just like he had that fateful night in the car. All of the sights and sounds of the hospital brought Crutchie back to the night he had lost everything.

 

_ The winding road seemed never-ending to 5-year-old Charlie. He pressed his face to the window, pointing out the silhouettes of cows and horses. The night sky was full of stars; more stars than Charlie had ever seen in the city. _

_ “Try counting them all, Charlie!” A warm voice called from the front of the car. Charlie smiled at his parents and looked back up at the sky. _

_ “One, two, three…” He began. He had made it all the way to 31, but suddenly, the stars disappeared. Charlie shielded his eyes as a truck came barreling down the road, the large vehicle’s high beams blinding everyone in the car. _

_ “Jacob, his high beams are on,” Charlie’s mother said worriedly.  _

_ “I know, Diane, let me concentrate.” _

_ Charlie looked from his mother to his father, terrified. He had no idea what was happening, but he had never heard his parents so worried.  _

_ The car jerked to the left, then to the right as the truck’s horn blared. Charlie gagged as he was jerked against his seatbelt. His mother reached back and grabbed Charlie’s hand. _

_ “It’s okay, sweetie,” She said, her voice trembling.  _

_ Then, the world began to spin. Everything moved ten times slower, and the only thing Charlie could hear was screaming. He braced himself for impact, which came a second later. The car flipped twice more, then skidded to a stop on a patch of grass.  _

_ Charlie opened his eyes. Everything was upside down. His right leg was numb, but Charlie saw blood on his car seat.  _

_ “Mama?” He whispered shakily. “Papa?” _

_ No response. Charlie fumbled with his seatbelt and crawled along the roof of his car until he came to the front. He gasped and began to shake. Blood was pooling on the windshield.  _

_ Charlie took a few more steps, and shrieked. His mother was hanging upside down, shards of glass sticking out of her head and neck. Charlie couldn’t hear her breathing. He slowly turned to face his father, and began to sob.  _

_ “Heya, champ,” Charlie’s father said weakly. “I’m glad you’re okay.” _ _   
_ _ Charlie reached out to his father’s wound and tried to close it, tried to stop the blood from pouring out of his chest. _

_ “I love you, Papa,” Charlie whispered between hiccups. _

_ His dad smiled. “I love you, too, munchkin. Don’t you ever stop counting those stars, okay?” _

_ Charlie nodded. His father took one last breath and kissed Charlie’s forehead. Then, Charlie felt his father’s heart stop under his hands. He numbly closed his father’s eyes and sat there, counting the stars. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter title sounds so philosophical wtf  
> i'm thinking about taking this chapter and the name and everything and actually writing a story out of it that's like. unrelated to newsies or anything yknow  
> so uh. dont like. steal the chapter or the name or any of that shit bc thats Not Cool
> 
> basically in this chapter crutchie is reminded of the car accident where his parents were killed  
> come yell at me on tumblr @ anddrownedusinink


	11. let's check in on our pal jack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a quick Jack Intermission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: just hospital stuff  
> sorry this is so short!!

One more day until Jack and Crutchie would be in their new home. Jack had his doubts about it being much better than the last one, but anything would be a significant upgrade from Snyder.

Jack sat by Crutchie’s bed, listening to his heart monitor. Jack felt a little better each time he heard the steady beep that meant Crutchie was still alive. He listened to his brother’s steady breathing, which slowed as Crutchie fell into a deep sleep.

Jack stood up and grabbed his shitty phone, which had been buzzing like crazy the entire night. He knew what he had to do. Taking one last look at Crutchie peacefully sleeping, Jack slipped out into the hall and turned on his phone.

_58 new messages,_ it read. Most were along the lines of, “How are you holding up?” and “How’s Crutchie doing?” but the message that caught Jack’s eye was from Davey himself:

“Please talk to me.” A simple, four-word text. Why, then, did it make Jack’s stomach do somersaults? Jack took a deep breath, and called Davey.

The phone had barely rung once before it was answered, startling Jack. Had Davey been up all night waiting for him?

“Jack?” A breathless Davey practically yelled into Jack’s ear. “How’s Crutchie? Did you get to the hospital okay? What happened?”

Jack closed his eyes. This would be difficult. “I… guess I should start from the beginning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me on tumblr @ anddrownedusinink


	12. awkward car ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a quick chapter where Jack and Crutchie are driven to their new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not updating!!!  
> also i read through this fic and what the fuck. my writing is terrible

An emotionless Crutchie sat in the back of a black car while Jack anxiously glanced at him. The moment Crutchie had stepped foot out of the hospital, everything came crashing down on him, and he was now a shell of his usually bubbly, bright self. Unresponsive, just going through the motions. The boys were on their way to their new foster home, and Jack was terrified. Terrified that it would be another Snyder, terrified that their new foster sibling wouldn’t like them. 

“So, Crutchie,” Jack said, desperate for his brother to speak. “Are you excited to meet our new sibling?”

No response. 

The social worker driving the car looked awkwardly at Jack. 

“This is usual behavior for someone who just went through a trauma. I can give you some names of great therapists, if you’d like.”   
Jack nodded. The rest of the car ride was silent.

 

Eventually, they pulled up at an old theatre. Jack got out of the car, and fingered the crumpled list of therapists worriedly. Maybe he needed a shrink, too. 

Jack turned to help Crutchie out of the car. He grabbed the wheelchair they had been given, as well as a set of forearm crutches. Crutchie got into the wheelchair without a word.

Jack walked up to the entrance of the large building, pushing the wheelchair in front of him. He noted hand painted signs that advertised various acts. 

Suddenly, the door swung open, and an extravagantly dressed woman stepped outside.

“Welcome home, boys!” Medda Larkin said with a warm grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me on tumblr @ anddrownedusinink  
> also this was not edited at all because im an impulsive bitch


	13. meet your angry brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> crutchie and jack meet their new brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for uh,,,,, NOT UPDATING???

Crutchie looked around at the dingy apartment that sat above the theatre. Magazines and dusty boxes lay forgotten in corners. The TV was on, playing some rerun of a game show Crutchie’s mom watched religiously. Crutchie looked at Medda again. She looked so kind. Motherly, even. Not to mention her warm smile.

"Spot, dear!" Medda called up the stairs. "Your brothers are here!"

Crutchie furrowed his brow. Spot? Where had he heard that name before?

A muffled groan sounded from the top of the stairs, followed by loud thumps. A stout boy appeared on the stairs, clearly having been woken up. The boy, Spot, looked... angry. Whether or not this was just his resting face was something Crutchie did not want to find out.

He looked closer at Spot. He was around Crutchie's age... Now he seemed really familiar. Crutchie put the thought out of his mind. 

An awkward silence filled the room. Jack nervously cleared his throat and stepped forward. 

"The name's Jack Kelly," He said, sticking out a hand. Spot didn't move. Jack ran the same hand through his hair, embarrassed. 

Crutchie remained silent as well. He was definitely not in the mood for any conversation. He turned to Medda and asked where his room was.

Medda frowned, but wheeled him to a room on the first floor. "You take all the time you need, alright, honey?"

Crutchie nodded, climbed into the ratty bed, and lay there, staring out the window, for the rest of the day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also sorry its so short :)


	14. not a chapter

sorry for not updating!! school has really taken a lot out of me and ive chosen to take harder courses this year, as well as doing a musical, so obviously i have very little time on my plate. i promise i havent abandoned this fic- its my baby and i love writing it so much. thank you for continuing to support my work! keep an eye out for new chapters of this one and maybe some new fics as well... ;)

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try to update often :)


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